Commentaries

February

February 1

Chapter 1, Verse 12, con’t, “I want you to know brothers, that what happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”

ἐλήλυθεν, elelythen, is more properly rendered “has turned out” as in “the evidence shows.” In other words, it was evident to those around Paul that his life, including his may sufferings, were used by God to move the gospel along and into more and more lives. That which Paul trumpeted was, of course, εὐαγγελίου, euangeliou, the gospel. It is good news, the best news to everyone. It is the report from all who know Jesus that he is Lord, the risen Savior, the eternal King, who live a sinless life, born of a virgin, died on a cross for the sin of mankind, and raised from death to life again to be our judicial representative in heaven at the throne of God. He is savior to all who receive him by faith and he will lever leave us; and one day soon he will take us home to heaven to live with him forever. Praise the Lord.

February 2

Chapter 1, Verse 13, “so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.”

Paul was a high value prisoner in Rome. Why? Politics. His seizure placated the Jewish leaders, but did it really work to their advantage? No. Why not? When Paul was jailed, those in charge of him were the Praetorian Guard, the Emperor’s personal protectors. They would be similar to Army Rangers, the best of the best and they had access to every part of Roman life, not to mention there were around 45,000 of them scattered in barracks all around the city. The served for 16 years and got a pension. Where would Paul be safest to write his letters without being bothered? With the guard, of course. Paul’s personal guard was the “chief of the soldiers (Acts 28), who was likely the commander of the Praetorians. So, Paul, the greatest gospel voice of his time was hanging out with influential soldiers, winning them to Christ, and changing the world without traveling a mile. Isn’t that just like God?

February 3

Chapter 1, Verse 14, “And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”

The best and easiest way to be confident is to hang out with someone who is already there. Paul’s disciples didn’t have direct access to him, but they heard all about his plight, many had heard him in person, so the confidence in Christ he exuded naturally captured their hearts. Did it reach them all? No. The verse says, “most of the brothers.” Why? It is because believers of every time in history live at different levels of faith, understanding, and surrender. Some of the brothers were just bold to begin with. And, no doubt, some were disciples but not real believers. This is exactly why those of us who are strong in the faith have to take those young in the faith right where they are, encourage them, and model for them courage to speak out for Christ. And do it even when we are shaking in our boots.

February 4

Chapter 1, Verse 14, con’t, “And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”

Confidence in a person or idea generally doesn’t happen overnight. Circumstances surrounding the person/idea must first be proven trustworthy. However, in the Christian walk, there is a supernatural ingredient brought to bear that can immediately overcome any hesitation–the Holy Spirit. Paul had already proven he was legitimate in every way as a Roman citizen, Jewish scholar, and friend to gentiles. He spoke with undeniable authority because it had been give to him by God, just like the gospel authority given to every believer. This whole kingdom of God thing was brand new to these Philippians. It required careful consideration in their minds and discussion with others. And in the end, they became more and more confident in the message and messenger because they were able to conclude this was all from God. He will always give us confidence if we look to him in prayer and study the truth of his word.

February 5

Chapter 1, Verse 14, con’t, “And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”

Most people don’t speak with boldness about any subject for one simple reason, ignorance. It’s not because they, themselves, are generally ignorant but, rather, because they don’t know the subject matter. I don’t have Dr. in front of my name because I’m so very smart. It’s there because I worked for it. Investigation, study, reading, contemplation, and a lot of writing were necessary. If you are going to be bold speaking about any subject, you must prepare yourself. You will never prove your point in you don’t know your point. And, just as important is know what your adversary believes and why he believe it. When you are ready to speak and, in spite of arguments against you, you prevail, you overcome fear. Fear can be a mighty weapon against you unless your faith is greater than what causes your fear. Then, you cannot be overcome.

February 6

Chapter 1, Verse 15, “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry. But others from good will.”

Why, in the world, would anyone preach Christ from jealousy? They do because they are operating from a bitter, envious mind, hoping to gain power and/or influence nefariously. That is really sad, but it is exactly how the devil works. He often uses the truth to trick those who believer the truth, albeit with a fair amount of ignorance working in their hearts. He did it with Eve in the garden. And look how that worked out. He even tried it with Jesus at the temp and, thank God, we know how that turned out. When the truth is somehow weaponized for evil gain, it is not the truth anymore, at least in the respect that it becomes more about the messenger and less about the message. Empires have been forged as men sought to be gods. They all fell and always will. Someone will always be waiting in the wings with a better widget.

February 7

Chapter 1, Verse 15, con’t, “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry. But others from good will.”

εὐδοκίαν, eudokian, from εὐδοκία, good pleasure; When God gets deep into your heart after the working of the gospel–repentance, faith, and indwelling of the Spirit, your mind changes about a lot of stuff, especially people. Before Christ in my life, I just wanted anyone I considered an enemy destroyed by whatever means necessary. Hating was easy, especially when someone looked or acted differently from what I was used to or expected. Many generations of poor social skills and injustice had been trained into me. And, then, Jesus showed up. Now, I don’t just see eyes, ears, nose, and throat. I see hungry souls wandering through the world with no real idea where they are headed without Christ. This idea of good pleasure means we begin to want what is best for others, even if they return evil to us. My good will toward others is that they may see Christ in me, the hope of glory and that, somehow, God may use me to show them the way to salvation.

February 8

Chapter 1, Verse 16, “The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.”

What sort of love? Love for what or who? This is the regular Greek ἀγάπη, agape, with ης ending, typically used in the bible to describe attraction for someone or something as part of moral preference. So, I love this because I prefer it over the other thing. Generally, in the New Testament, ἀγάπη is used concerning the love of or love for God, hence, divine love. And this over against familial or brotherly love where another person is involved. However, I believe both kinds of love are in view here because of what God does in the human heart/mind when a person is saved. So, I preach the gospel first because I love God and am keenly aware of what he has provided for me. But I also preach the gospel because I have a God-given love for others and I want them to experience God’s love as I have.

February 9

Chapter 1, Verse 16, con’t, “The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.”

Three words stand out in the first sixteen verses: imprisonment, defensed, and gospel. It seems a bit odd until you consider Paul’s endgame motivation. There was not much he could do about being locked up. But, consider this; he was safe, he had a nice place to live, he was well-fed, he had plenty of time to write, obviously had a means for getting his writings out, and had access to influential Romans. But why did he need to defend the gospel? ἀπολογίαν, apologian, here means “intelligent reasoning” and was a term often used the courts then. Like a scholarly apology today, it was like a deep dive into facts surrounding a subject so the hearer/reader could make an intelligent response instead of one made driven by emotion. And then again, gospel, good news, the greatest message of all time must be articulated in a way that makes it simple, powerful, believable, and attractive. That is what God wants for us and from us as we do our best to bring light into the darkness.

February 10

Chapter 1, Verse 17, “The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.”

This is the jealous bunch from verse 15. Why did Paul find it necessary to restate this charge? Because it was important to know their endgame. They wanted to be “in charge” so they could line their pockets regardless of the damage caused to the message or the hearers. This is exactly where religion and politics come together in complete harmony. Both will extend just enough good or goods to placate those who follow their drivel but neither will do what is really necessary to rescue their adherents from evil–tell the truth. In their effort to build their kingdom and control their followers, they will either hide the truth, change truth into a lie, or both. When this happens, chaos prevails and people die without God because the darkness of evil was never removed from their eyes.

February 11

Chapter 1, Verse 17, con’t, “The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.”

Paul was trying to point out something very important and most often overlooked. Sincerely, ἁγνῶς, hagnos, is only used in the New Testament one time. Its regular meaning is “purely” and clearly invests the idea of honesty. This is the primary problem of anyone trying to change the truth of any idea. They cannot be honest with self and others and their ambition is self aggrandizement hoping no one will notice. And, when they can’t defend their lies, they attack the person telling the truth. It is much easier to make empty accusations than it is to study. And so it is with false teachers in every walk of life. They seek power over others, profit over proof, and they are quite willing to side with the enemy as long as they maintain their position. The problem here–it didn’t work. Why? God is more powerful than all their influence peddling can muster. And the truth will prevail.

February 12

Chapter 1, Verse 17, con’t, “The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.”

A final word is necessary to understand the intended scope of the troubles brought upon Paul by his adversaries and how such trouble can be brought upon us in this time in history. This trouble, θλῖψιν, thlipsin, properly “tribulation,” they hoped for carried with it the sense of hemming him in in order to cause internal pressures of his mind that might sidetrack him from his mission. It didn’t work. Why? Paul’s focus was about faith, not fear. He looked past his personal travail to the greater need of those around him. He didn’t have a pity party; he praised God and continued to work on kingdom growth. In a nutshell, he didn’t allow his mind to be trapped by the words or actions of anyone. He preferred to enjoy the captivating freedom of Christ that allowed him to live above he fray. Many of us would do well to remember that our mental traps, big or small, can only and always be overcome by the power of our God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who reigns in the heart by faith alone.

February 13

Chapter 1, Verse 18, “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and it that I rejoice.”

Paul’s use of Τί γάρ, ti gar, What then, tell us e are not quite finished with his argument concerning the presentation of Christ to people by apparently disagreeing factions. The truth of the matter is there will always be factions and more than two when it comes to the gospel. Right here in the southeast, many religious groups, some claiming to be Christian, have entirely different takes on the gospel. Some insist water baptism is responsible/essential for salvation to take hold of your life. Others insist on speaking in tongues. Some demand good deeds and social justice. Sadly, none of those have anything to do with the gospel preached by Paul. He made it very clear to the Church at Corinth that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus were the only essential components of the message and only with a repentant heart toward God and faith in Jesus can anyone hope to be saved–nothing more, nothing less.

February 14

Chapter 1, Verse 18, con’t, “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and it that I rejoice.

Paul made it pretty plain what was going on. Some of the people were promoting Christ as a show, προφάσει, prophasei, a pretense, or a disguise for what they were really after. As I said before, they wanted influence and power over their hearers. That is a stark difference from those whose message was offered in the plain truth, ἀληθείᾳ, aletheia, without any mixture of deceit. This is the difference between reality and illusion. Just like then, today’s false teachers use slight of hand to engage their audience. Amazingly, though, Paul concluded that it didn’t matter to him what was behind their preaching. His only interest was that Jesus was being preacher. When I was younger, I found that ironic. Now, I understand what he was talking about. The power of God in the message is far greater than the intent of the speaker. God can and will draw men unto himself by his spirit to save them. And in that, with Paul, I rejoice.

February 15

Chapter 1, Verse 19, “for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance.”

Paul didn’t use the regular word for know but, rather, οἶδα, oida, that means I perceive without seeing, or in another way, my understanding reaches farther than I can see (my imprisonment) because I see with spiritual eyes that widen and deepen my perception. It is akin to saying, “I see what you mean.” Paul was separated from his disciples and friends but he knew something of great significance would lead to his deliverance: prayer. Sometimes my mind causes me to feel separated from my surroundings, even from those I care about most. Those are very dark moments. But I am always reminded that a certain group of people pray for me everyday. I cannot see or hear them, but I know they are praying and that is one of the things that lifts me out of the occasional funks of life. I am grateful for the prayers of my family and friends.

February 16

Chapter 1, Verse 19, con’t, “for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance.”

Sooner or later, we all need help at some level. We might reach out to a friend or family member for really meaningful help in a time of trouble. Help doesn’t often seem like help unless there is something tangible to hold onto, like money for a debt or even just a hug after tragedy. But what about help from God? Is it tangible? Can you hold onto it or spend it? Will you even recognize it when it is offered? God’s hep is absolutely tangible, measurable, and recognizable. But only if you are engaged in a living, ongoing relationship with him. God is always looking after us. Unfortunately, we often don’t recognize his help because our focus is somewhere else. I, like Paul, know clearly where my help comes from. It comes from the Lord. And so, I will rejoice, like Paul, in every circumstance because I know my future is completely in his hands and he will always supply all my needs.

February 17

Chapter 1, Verse 19, con’t, “for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance.”

The adversaries of Paul were relentless, wanting him killed by whatever means necessary. They didn’t realize a few things much as people without faith in Jesus Christ don’t realize the same things today. First, Paul’s faith was just as relentless as their opposition. And so it is with those of us who hold dear our faith even over life. Second, those opposed to Paul walked in fear of the power of the gospel because it threatened their power base and the scope of their influence. Paul had no fear because he had seen first, second, and third hand the power of the gospel in the lives and over many circumstances. And third, because of the love of God, Paul had hope, something those without Christ did not have. Paul’s hope was not centered, though, in his release from jail. His hope, a living hope, was focused on his deliverance into the presence of the His Savior.

February 18

Chapter 1, Verse 20, “as it is my eager expectation and hope that I not be at all ashamed, but with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.”

ἀποκαραδοκίαν, apokaradokian, eager or earnest expectation, used only here and in Romans 8:19, is a very interesting term/word. It is kind of like a race horse galloping full steam with its head outstretched, reaching for the finish line or, as in my case, a runner competing in a all out sprint from the blocks to the finish, never thinking of losing but fully expecting to win, blinded to the task without regard to anything going on around me, even the other runners. My coach always told me to run my race that I had trained for without regard to what anyone else was doing. In those days it was all about a positive focus. Today, not much has changed. The more I run after God and his principles, the more positive I become that I am His and he is mine.

February 19

Chapter 1, Verse 20, con’t, “as it is my eager expectation and hope that I not be at all ashamed, but with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.”

In my mind, there are two types of hope. One is indefinite and the other is definite. The former emanates from uncertainty and may think, “I don’t know for sure is xxxx is going to happen, so I will hope it does.” The other grows out of a secure, never doubting faith and certainly says, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus and his righteousness.” The doubtful hope is blind and has no way to see or understand the alleged outcome. The sure hope sees clearly through the lens of living faith and has no other choice but to believe because there is no other, better alternative. Some will say that is naive, but I will say it is a sure thing. I do not hope because I wonder. I hope because I know God in Jesus Christ and have experienced living hope over and over. This was always Paul’s view of hope.

February 20

Why would someone like Paul, a true hero of faith, be at all concerned with being ashamed? The big greek word here is αἰσχυνθήσομαι, aischynthesomai, ashamed (I will be). It does mean ashamed but with the flavor of “to dishonor.” The great apostle, like the rest of us, even though he was a thoroughly dedicated servant of God, suffered from his humanity–sin. No matter how dedicated, sanctified, and careful with word and deed, he and we alike, sometimes lose our temper, speak out of turn, exhibit poorly placed anger, and make rash judgments. It is inherent because of the plague of sin that follows us to the grave. So I understand why Paul made this statement. I have dishonored God in my walk over and over again. I hope I don’t do it anymore.

February 21

OK, here is the rub. I don’t want to be ashamed for bringing dishonor to Jesus, but I do want to be courageous which has always been my habit since I met Christ and he saved me. Most often, the display of courage will either inspire more courage or scare people away. I like to be around courageous people, especially those who stand up for what is right–I like to be that person myself. But the fear that accompanies courage for me is this: the risk of pridefulness. When you stand for truth and begin to be recognized for it, you will likely become a leader because people want to follow a bold spokesman. If having followers goes to our head, pride is right there ready to wreck our lives when bold becomes brag. We must keep our focus on Christ.

February 22

Honored is a good translation here, but certainly not the best. “Magnified,” as in the King James Version is better because it better reflects the meaning of the Greek, μεγαλυνθήσεται, megalynthēsetai, will be magnified, from μεγαλύνω, megaluno, to make or declare great. The first half of the word, from μέγας, megas, just means great or huge. And this is exactly what Paul was after. While some of his contemporaries were more concerned with personal influence and gain, Paul wanted to make it perfectly clear that his endgame was to make all his words and deeds a means of elevating the name of Jesus higher than any other. And he wasn’t overly concerned about personal safety. Obviously, he needed to stay alive to write and witness but he knew the message was so great personal peril would be at hand. Hence, “whether by life or by death.” Paul did all he could while he could for the cause of Christ. Will we follow suit?

February 23

Chapter 1, Verse 21, For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Life and death, living and dying, one a popular subject, the other one most of us avoid at all costs–until it is too late. While death is not at all an easy subject for the majority of people all over the world, even life is a daily exercise in futility. Get up, go to work (if you have a job), slough through the day without much enjoyment, eat an unhealthy meal or two, fight traffic, a bus, or subway to get home, try to deal with family issues, go to bed, get up, and start all over again chasing some economic dream or trying to just survive. What’s missing? Jesus. Even in most Christian lives, he is only a holiday away. Paul said to live is Christ. That sounds to me like starting my day with Christ, walking all day with him at the forefront of all I do, having him present at home, and going to bed knowing he is my provider in all things. Dying is another story.

February 24

Chapter 1, Verse 21, con’t, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Somehow, it is hard to imagine that dying is “gain” or, somehow better than living. Why is that so? It is probably because all we know is living and we have never talked with someone who died. Our lives are so wrapped up in experience, it is hard to imagine something that is all wrapped up in hope. And for me, there are all the times I’ve sat with someone as they approached death and then passed, some in excruciating pain. But that’s about dying, not death and beyond. We all have a certain fear of the unknown and we’ve never visited death before. But I must remember, Jesus, who defeated death, hell, and the grave has prepared a place for me with himself. And wherever that actually is, it will be better than anything I have experienced in the world.

February 25

Chapter 1, Verse 22, “If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.”

Paul was one tough cookie and was never ready to give up. He faced all sorts of horrid circumstances in his walk with God. And now, as age advanced on him, and as he surely knew time was running out for him in this life, he still had the mindset that if he were to continue living, his life efforts would continue to focus on the gospel. And so it should be for all of us who name Christ as Lord–as we age and our bodies no longer perform like they did when we were young. Far too many older believers, especially those with health issues, just sit down quietly in the corner. Not me! I choose to use whatever time I have left to continue to be an example for the gospel, and particularly as an example for younger Christians coming up behind me.

February 26

Chapter 1, Verse 22, con’t, “If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.”

Was Paul confused? Confusion is not the right way to look at it. This is more about desire. On the one hand, this old soldier of the Cross was, no doubt, very tired of the rigors of life, especially being separated from those he loved. On the other hand, he knew his testimony and witness were still needed in the world. By his own hand, as he continued to write, Paul was leading more people to faith and the Christian walk by extension. And that doesn’t include the very powerful and influential members of the Roman legion who were turning to Christ under his tutelage. In my experience, when you don’t have leadership from God, one way or another, stay the present course until God reveals what to do next, even when you are not in control of the circumstance–and you never are anyway.

February 27

Chapter 1, Verse 23, “I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to part and be with Christ, for that is far better.”

As Paul continued to bear his heart about living an dying, he used the term συνέχομαι, synechomai, I am pressed (hard) [ESV], or “in a straight,” [KJV]. This reminds me of an Army Ranger obstacle course I once ran. At one point, I entered a culvert under a road, standing straight up. The further I went into it, the smaller it got. In the last 10 feet, I was crawling through a 3 foot pipe, scared to death–hard pressed. I had to decide to keep moving even thought the situation was very difficult. It would have ben easier to skip the whole thing. But what do you learn taking the easy way out? Paul was not looking for an escape route. But he did understand that leaving the troubles of the world for heaven was the eternal option for perfect peace.

February 28

Chapter 1, Verse 23, con’t, “I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to part and be with Christ, for that is far better.”

I’ve seen a lot of suffering in my lifetime sitting beside death beds and dealing with families who lost loved ones. I’ve read stories about great Christian missionaries who gave their lives for Christ and some who endured horrible circumstances, It seems, though, that they never wrote about suffering. They wrote about the privilege of serving God and seeing lives changed by the gospel. I personally know pain, but not suffering. Paul suffered–really suffered. And while he said leaving for heaven would be far better or more excellent, he also knew that it might not be the best thing at the time in his life. Why? I believe the strong believers I have known never considered their hardships suffering but rather privilege for the opportunity to serve God.

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